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May 14, 2004
U.S. Military Bars Torture

In a surprise move, the U.S. military announced today that they have banned the use of certain interrogation methods in Iraq.

The U.S. military, facing a scandal over the abuse of prisoners at the Abu Ghraib jail, has banned several interrogation methods in Iraq, including sleep and sensory deprivation and body "stress positions," defense officials said on Friday.

The officials, briefing reporters on condition of anonymity, said these techniques previously required high-level approval from the U.S. military leadership in Iraq, but now will be prohibited completely. The officials said the decision was made on Thursday by the top U.S. commander in Iraq, Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez.

A senior Central Command official said the U.S. military leadership in Iraq never actually approved a request from personnel at any prison to use any of the techniques that now are being prohibited, although these methods had been listed as among those for which approval could be requested.

--snip--

Chief Pentagon spokesman Lawrence Di Rita told reporters that there has been "a rigorous process since long before these allegations came to light" at the Abu Ghraib facility on the outskirts of Baghdad. But Di Rita indicated that "the heightened scrutiny of the last couple of weeks" might have played a role in Sanchez's decision.

It might have played a role? Or else, what, it's just a coincidence? Give me a break.

These were techniques for which "approval could be requested" but it never actually was requested, or at least never actually "approved." This sounds like a lot of doubletalk to me. If it was possible to get approval for these methods, that is certainly a tacit approval of the methods themselves, even if specific permission was never given in a specific case. This seems to strongly contradict what they've been saying, which is more along the lines of, "we had no idea anybody would do this kind of thing."

Sleep and sensory deprivation are one thing, but what the hell is "body stress positions" supposed to mean? That sure seems sufficiently vague to include just about anything.

Broom handle up your ass? It's a "body stress position."

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